Kaleidoscope
by Meepy
Summary: No, she didn't get a Vocaloid. . . The Vocaloid got her. — MikuxGakupo ;; Indefinite hiatus
1. Butterfly

**Hm, I wanted to write a story like this before, but I didn't know which characters to use. Then I remembered I promised _OnigiRimi_ I'd write a Mikupo story, so... here we are now! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vocaloid and/or any of its characters.**

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Miku sat peacefully on the park bench, a thick book in hand. The sun above her shone happily, accompanied by only a few fluffy clouds. She flipped through the pages of her book slowly, running her fingers through her long, turquoise hair all the while. She loved the fresh, raw feel nature gave off. It was always so serene, even in a park with children running amok. Nevertheless, Miku felt like she was in her own world. Her own world of sweet calmness.

Especially today, seeing as she truly was alone. Miku had gone down one of the park's many paths the other day, a little further than usual. She ended up in a more deserted area of the park. In fact, there was only her. She liked this place, claiming it hers ever since she first found it. It was empty a lot of the times, too. Though Miku quite liked the peace and quiet she had alone.

Unfortunately, it didn't last for long.

"Miku! There you are!" A blond girl rushed over to where Miku sat, dodging a few bushes here and there.

"Hey, Rin," Miku greeted. She closed her book and placed it on her lap as soon as Rin plopped herself down on the bench next to her.

The girl tugged on her large, white hair ribbon a bit. "I don't get why you like to come here during our lunch break... It was a lot harder to find you today, you know! You normally don't come _here_. It's so vacant, and far off from where everyone actually is." Rin squinted her eyes as she stared back at where she had come from, emphasizing her statement. She couldn't see anyone at all from where they sat.

Miku shrugged. "It's nice here."

"Anyway," Rin sang out, "guess what!"

"Hm?"

"You know about Vocaloids, right?"

Miku nodded. "The singing robots you can customize, right? That's old news, Rin."

"Yes, I know! But _this_ isn't!" she exclaimed. Rin pulled out a folded piece of paper and handing it to Miku. She opened it up and stared at its contents.

"What is this?"

"Oh, _nothing!_ Just a letter from my dad. He's buying me a Vocaloid! You know how he's super busy and always out of town? Well, he's stopping by today, and staying for the whole week," she explained, "and we're heading straight to that Vocaloid place when he arrives!"

"That's great, Rin." Miku smiled. "But I don't get the point of a Vocaloid... It's a robot that sings. And?"

"It's not just that, Miku. They're quite human, you know—besides the no eating, sleeping and lack of emotions stuff... But you can hang out and sing with them, yeah?" Rin informed. "You can also make them sing songs you want them to. Some people even compose their own songs for them! It's amazing."

"Alright..."

"They're fun, too!" Rin added. "I mean, have you seen Leon with his Lola Vocaloid? That's my proof."

Miku blinked, her expression thoughtful. "Hmph... Can you believe we're already at commercial, fully-functional robots that can sing?"

"Miku... Don't make it sound like a bad thing with that bitter tone of yours."

"Well, technology is moving so quickly, Rin. Frighteningly so. Do you think, maybe, it will be the cause of our downfall?"

Rin stared at her friend. "Obviously, I don't have the answer to that. You're thinking a lot! More than usual," she noted. "Hmm... I've been thinking about how I should make my Vocaloid look," she wondered aloud, casually changing the subject.

"Make it look like your twin brother," Miku joked while handing the letter back to her friend. Rin quickly stuffed it back in her pocket.

She clapped her hands together. "You're a genius!"

"You really want to do that, Rin?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Well, why not?" Rin replied with a huff.

"I wasn't being serious... But alright," Miku hesitated. "Hey, I can't remember anymore... You can only customize the appearance of a Vocaloid, right? And not their voices? There are pre-made ones to choose from?"

Rin nodded. "Why so curious?"

"Just wondering. But it would be amazing... if you could make your own voice for it as well."

"Bahaha! Do you want a Vocaloid, too?" Rin laughed, poking her friend in the side teasingly.

Miku scowled. "No way!"

"Is it because of all that technology junk?" She frowned.

"I just don't see the point of having a Vocaloid."

"I already explained that to you," Rin reminded her. "Again, it's fun!"

Rin stood up abruptly, glancing down at her watch. Her sudden movement threw Miku off guard, causing her to jump in her seat a little.

"Oh shit! Class is starting soon!" Rin exclaimed. "Did you even eat lunch, Miku? Bah, never mind. We better get going or else we'll both be late for history!"

She hurried down the path, the more populated area in sight. Realizing that Miku hadn't followed her, she turned around. "Miku? You better come," she shouted loudly.

"I will! Just go ahead without me," she yelled in return.

Rin gave a curt nod before disappearing down the trail.

Miku got off the bench and did a quick twirl. She held onto her book tightly, gazing contently at her little area. It gave off such a peaceful feel, yet it was always so empty. Miku wondered why no one spent any time in her little spot. There was the lovely wooden bench in the middle, some nice, big, leafy trees bordering, along with many bushes and flowers.

But then again, if others were to hang out in this place, it would no longer be hers. It would probably lose its luster as well. Maybe it was the privacy and secrecy of it that made it so enchanting.

Miku bent down, lowering her face to a plain daisy sprouting from the grass next to a large bush. She gave it a quick sniff, then smiled. "I'll be back," she whispered into it, giggling softly.

She stood upright again, laughing. Miku turned around to head down the path and back to their school.

All of the sudden, a hand shot out from the bush behind her. It grasped onto her arm. Miku let out a terrified squeak. Her book fell onto the ground, bouncing ever so slightly. Miku tried to pull away, but whoever was hiding behind the shrub was inhumanly strong.

They tugged on her arm roughly before dragging her into the depths of the bush.

She screamed.

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**Oh no... this chapter is so short.**

**I kinda like it, though. :D  
**


	2. The world turns

**I'm glad some people are happy to see a (this) Mikupo fic! :3**

* * *

Rin stared at the door from across the history classroom. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably, a worried look on her face. The bell was about to ring, yet Miku hadn't yet arrived. Which was odd, considering the fact that she was a very punctual girl. She had never, ever been late in her entire life without a valid excuse like a doctor's appointment. Or at least for as long as Rin has known her (which is several years).

"Hey, Rin. Is something wrong?" said the person sitting in the desk next to hers.

The voice and question directed to her snapped Rin out of her stare down with the door. She turned to her left to face the blue-haired, scarfed boy who had just spoken. She gave him a small smile.

"Oh, Kaito? No, I'm fine...," she replied. "I'm just a little worried."

"Hm? About what?" He paused. "Do we have some kind of test today? Shit! I didn't study..."

Rin shook her head, chuckling. "No. It's just that... Miku's not here yet. And I was just with her a moment ago... She's never late."

Kaito stiffened. "Miku is... gone?" he asked slowly.

Rin blinked. Kaito's sudden change of tone surprised her. Before she could reply and tell him she wasn't quite sure if it were _that_ bad, the bell had rung. Their teacher, Ms. Kasane, got up from her desk and stood in front of the white board. She told the class to quiet down, which they all immediately did.

Despite the fact that she was a very petite woman, she was horrendously scary. All hell would be let loose on you if you were to ever get on her bad side. An easy way to get close to that would be to question her age. With the sweet face and childish, pink twin drills hairdo, she looked much like a middle school student.

Ms. Kasane—Teto, her surname (also very childish sounding)—extremely disliked it whenever she was mistaken to be a preteen. Funny, considering the fact that must women would rather be seen as young instead of old.

All that aside, she was very actually nice—and a really good teacher as well.

As Teto did role call, Rin couldn't help but wince when she heard Miku's name called out with no reply of a "here!"

No one else seemed to think it odd. But then again, they wouldn't have known that she wasn't away earlier in the day. Plus, Miku wasn't the only one absent... Taito as well.

Except Kaito seemed to find it strange too. Probably only because of what Rin had said earlier. He had his lips pursed in a frown, his eyebrows furrowed.

Throughout the whole class, Rin found it extremely hard to concentrate. She had just been with Miku, after all, and now she wasn't in class... Was she playing hooky? Very uncharacteristic for someone like her. But Miku was a stubborn girl, and Rin remembered how she had playfully teased her about being such a goody two-shoes the other day.

Miku even stated that one day she really _would_ skip class, to prove Rin wrong. She didn't believe her, though.

So Rin settled uneasily with that thought, trying to convince herself that was the case.

The period continued on slowly. Rin wasn't quite sure what Teto was talking about; a war, most likely. Eventually, the bell rang and Rin grudgingly packed up her stuff for the next period. She ended up being the last to leave the classroom. Upon entering the hall, she was swept away by a crowd of students.

She sighed, a little ticked, but not much. She was being forced over to the direction of her next class, anyway.

Again, the period went on without her paying much attention at all. Ms. Yokune (a very tall lady) was pretty good at making lessons interesting for a science class. But Rin still found herself thinking about Miku. Had she hurt herself, unable to get up and call for help? Or was she just having a nice time out of school?

What if she were kidnapped?

Rin tried her best to ignore that theory. Miku? Kidnapped? Highly unlikely!

She probably _was _just skipping, so why was Rin worrying her head off about it?

So Rin decided to keep her mind off of it. She really tried her best, listening intently to what Ms. Yokune was saying. Ms. Yokune—Ruko—insisted on playing a short game, something like team- Jeopardy, as a fun way to review their material. There was a prize involved at the end, as well.

The class ended with a smile. Though there was only one team that had won, everyone got a small treat in the end—just not as large as the winners', of course.

When the bell had rung, Rin strolled slowly out of the classroom with her backpack, through the hall, out the school foyer and onto the schoolyard. She stretched, relieved the day was over. Smiling, she headed to the curb to wait for her father. Oh, how she was excited to get her own Vocaloid!

But she just happened to bump into Kaito on her way... Not literally, though. He passed her, hesitated, then turned to face her as though he wanted to speak. But he didn't say anything.

Rin frowned, not sure if she could deal with him at the moment. They were friends, yes, but she was feeling really, _really_ impatient. Though she hadn't yet spotted her father's car, he could be coming any moment...!

Sighing, she decided that maybe she could use this encounter as an advantage. She spoke, "In history... I wasn't paying much attention. Was there anything important Ms. Kasane said?"

"Is Miku still gone?" he asked in return, ignoring her question.

"I-I don't know." She gulped. Kaito just _had_ to bring it up again, when she was trying to keep her mind off of it.

"She's... missing," he said softly.

"Well... I wouldn't say that. She could have been just skipping class! Why would you come back at the end of the day from doing that? I never did," she supplemented.

Kaito gave her a "you're-kidding-right?" look.

"Yeah! Okay! I know Miku would never play hooky," Rin admitted, "but I guess I provoked her yesterday..."

He raised an eyebrow.

"I was telling her she's such a _good_ child."

"Peer pressure, huh?"

"Yeah..." She looked down sheepishly.

"Do you think we should call the police or something?"

Rin shook her head. "They probably won't do anything. It's only been a couple of hours, and we don't even know if this is a real _problem. _But we should probably tell her mom," she suggested. "Well, not we—you. I have to wait for Sora. I'm kind of busy today, yeah?"

"Okay then."

"Miku's probably just fine. Oh, and while you're there, don't flirt with her mom again!" Rin scolded, wagging her finger at him accusingly.

Kaito pouted. "I don't flirt with her!"

She smirked. "Well, you're always complimenting her..."

"I-I'm just being nice!" he exclaimed.

"If you say so." Rin giggled. "You better get going Kaito!" She pushed him lightly onto the sidewalk. She waved him off, watching him run down the sidewalk. Sighing, she wondered how Miku's mother would react. Were they being too lighthearted about the situation? Was it actually more serious than she thought?

Before Rin could delve any deeper into the matter, a silver car pulled over by the curb in front of her. They rolled down the windows, revealing a man with short blond hair and blue eyes. He grinned.

"Sora!" Rin shouted happily. Sora Suiga was Rin's father. She had a habit of calling him by his first name instead of just "dad". Though he had changed his last name to Kagamine many, many years ago (for a reason Rin was not sure of), most people still seemed to refer to him as Suiga.

Rin didn't know much about her father since he was out and about all the time. But she always had a weird hunch that he was some sort of player when he had been in high school and university. He seemed like the type. She just hoped that he wasn't cheating on her mother now.

Yeah, a _weird_ hunch.

But Sora never spoke much of his past at all. Rin's mother kept pretty quiet about it too—"it's his business, and if he doesn't feel like speaking of it yet..."

All Rin knew was that he had married a girl named Koto Fuuga—now Koto Kagamine, of course.

Which wasn't much, considering the fact that she was talking about her _mother._

"Hey, Rin! Aren't you going to get into the car yet?" Sora reminded.

She blinked. "Oh, yeah." Quickly doing as told, she hurried around the car and opened the door of the passenger seat. Getting in, she buckled up the seatbelt. "All systems a go!"

"So, how's my favourite kid in this whole world been lately?" he asked, putting the pedal to the metal.

"Oh, absolutely fine. I'm so excited about getting my own Vocaloid! Thank you so much, Sora! But anyway, I was thinking about making it look like it were my twin brother, yeah? It was actually my friend's id—" she hesitated. "Um, yeah..."

He glanced over at his daughter, curious as to why she seemed so uncertain all of the sudden. Not sure if he should question her about it, he let it drop. "That sounds good," he said, swiveling the steering wheel for a left turn.

"So you're okay with it?" Rin smiled hopefully. "It's not a stupid thing?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I don't see what's wrong with it."

The rest of the car ride to the Vocaloid shop, the two spent the time talking about little things. A smidge of school here, a drop of hobbies there... Eventually, Sora pulled into a parking lot and stopped the car, beaming. "Alright, kiddie, we're here!"

Rin squealed in excitement, a sound quite foreign to her. They stood in a plaza, in front of a small store. There was a large sign on it reading, "VOCALAND - _the Vocaloid centre_".

She grabbed her father's hand, dragging him into the store.

"Hello!" a woman with grey hair held up in a ponytail greeted them. She stood in front of the counter by the door.

"Hi, Haku!" Rin replied. She knew her pretty well, seeing as she dropped by the shop every so often to stare at the Vocaloids. Haku was also glad to answer any questions Rin had. She heard that Haku wished to become a singer, but she didn't exactly have the most beautiful voice in the entire world... Quite the opposite, actually.

But apparently, there was something about her stage presence that seemed to lure people into watching her karaoke. She also seemed quite happy to be around these singing robots with captivating voices, but there was always this depressed demeanor about her.

Noticing Sora, Haku inquired, "Are you buying a Vocaloid today, Rin?"

Rin nodded excitedly.

"That's great!" She smiled. "Oh, hello Mr. Kagamine..." Haku turned to face Sora. "My name is Haku. Pleased to be of service."

"Sora," he replied.

"Alright, Sora. Come now, follow me, you two." She gestured down the shop, then led the way. "First, we'll be choosing the voice."

A couple of hours passed, and they were still not done. There were many things to do. Choosing a voice, their appearance... Actually, that wasn't much at all. But Rin was very indecisive, even though she had everything in mind—her fake twin brother!

Finally, she finished the last detail. Spiky blond hair and a short ponytail in the back. A little abnormal, but she liked it. Staring at the Vocaloid in front of her, she was beginning to wonder whether or not the outfit was too odd. Black shorts, a school uniform-like t-shirt with puffed sleeves, a tie, armwarmers that had his parameter and voice settings on them...

But then again, Haku said you could change its clothing. Just keep the armwarmers with his settings.

Rin grinned. She felt so excited. The thought of bringing it—him—home, activating it...

Her _own_ Vocaloid!

"Is this all?" Haku asked, touching the still figure of the Vocaloid gently.

"Yup."

"Alright." Haku turned around, grabbed something, then turned back. She handed Rin a pretty hefty manual. "That'll be all you need to know about a Vocaloid... So, I guess we'll just head back to the counter now and ring it up?"

"Len," she corrected, "his name is Len." Rin wasn't exactly sure where she pulled the name out of, but it seemed to suit her Vocaloid...

Haku blinked. "Oh, alright. We'll head over to the counter with Len, then." She chuckled softly. "You're alright if we put him a crate, right? He could get damaged if not, and it's also regulation."

"Yeah, I guess—"

A ringing sound cut her off. Realizing it was her cellphone, she pulled it out and flipped it open. "Hello?"

_"Hey, it's Kaito. We're looking for Miku right now, me and her mom. We've checked a lot of her favourite places, but... Well, her mom is really, really upset."_

"Oh," was all she could say in response.

_"We tried calling her, but nothing. Anyway, I thought I should just tell you. I was kind of hoping that maybe she contacted you or something. Anyway, see ya' later, I guess."_

"Yeah, bye...," she replied slowly, closing her cellphone. Her mouth felt dry.

Sora watched his daughter with a worried look. She looked upset. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," Rin replied quietly. "Or at least I hope so..."

* * *

**BORINGbad chapter.**

**I-I'm building up suspense? Next chapter will definitely be more exciting! I promise!**

**Btw, Sora and Koto are UTAUloids.  
**


	3. Nothing

**Yeah, lots of questions about the other characters and stuff... What will happen? What's up with them?**

**idk - *shot*  
**

**Just so you know, the beginning here with Kaito is what he was doing while Rin was getting herself a Vocaloid.**

**

* * *

**

Kaito rang the doorbell a couple of times. After being forcibly sent out to fulfill a mission by Rin, he quickly found his way to Miku's house. Kaito stared at the door and the house itself as he waited patiently for the door to open. It wasn't exactly a big house, but it seemed pretty decent sized. Grey bricks and white-lined windows, it gave off quite an elegant feel.

The door opened, and Kaito was greeted by a woman with long, pink hair and bright blue eyes. "Oh, hello Kaito." She smiled. "Come in, come in," she said, gesturing for him to enter.

He stepped in unsurely, kicking off his shoes.

"You look nice today, Ms. Megurine," he complimented, gazing up at the older woman. She and Miku didn't look related at all. Most people assumed Miku had been adopted, but neither Miku or her mother ever confirmed whether that theory was true or not.

What Kaito did know, however, was that Ms. Megurine's first name was Luka. But it absolutely did _not_ feel right to call her that. Even though Miku had constantly insisted that it was alright, and her mother actually didn't mind. Miku's words echoed through his mind, "She approves of it, in fact!"

Luka led the young man down the hall, and into the kitchen. Kaito took a seat by the table.

"Miku hasn't come home yet," she said, "but you can wait here until she does." Luka stood at the counter by the sink. She poured herself a cup of tea.

She turned to face Kaito. She held the cup snugly with both hands, taking quick sips. "Would you like some tea?" Luka offered.

"N-No thanks," Kaito replied. "And about Miku... I wouldn't really know if she's coming back soon. She wasn't in class after lunch... I-I think she's _gone_." He lowered his voice as he spoke.

Luka's eyes widened, the cup falling out of her hands. It shattered upon impact with the ground. The hot liquid surrounded the broken pieces of clay.

"Miku's missing?" Her voice faltered.

Kaito bit his lip, his gaze directing to the broken cup. It was unnerving, being around a grown woman who might burst into tears at any second. "She wasn't at history class. We didn't see her after school, either. But, y'know, she could be just fine. It might be nothing." He tried to smile.

Standing up from his chair, he went to pick up the pieces of clay from the ground.

"Oh, no-no, Kaito. You might hurt yourself. I'll clean that up." Luka grabbed a towel from the counter. Shrugging lightly, he went back to his seat.

Luka quickly cleared the remains of the cup away, wiping the floor clean. "Have you tried calling her?" she asked Kaito in the middle of her towel-work.

"Yeah... A couple of times, no one answered." He watched the woman try to keep up her calm facade.

Luka shook her head, a look of dread crossing her features. Standing upright again and tossing the dirty cloth to the side, she strode across the room and picked up the phone. "I'm calling the police," she stated, punching in numbers.

The phone rang once before a woman with a bright voice responded, _"Hello, Bokaro police station."_

"My daughter is missing!" Luka said quickly.

_"Your name?"_

"Luka Megurine."

_"Her name?"_

"Miku Megurine."

_"How old is she?"_

"Sixteen."

_"How long has she been missing?"_

"I-I don't know. A few hours?"

_"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we cannot file a missing persons report yet, or dispatch a search team. If it's only been a few hours, your daughter could easily show up soon. There is also a possibility that she has run away for a short time as well. Teenagers usually come back after a day or so."_

"But Miku's not like that!" Luka exclaimed frantically.

_"I'm sorry. But we can't do anything about it yet. If she doesn't show up in a couple of days, don't hesitate to call us."_

She stammered, "I... Wh... O-Okay."

The woman on the other line hung up. Luka did so as well.

Kaito stared at Luka as she stood in front of the phone, unmoving.

He asked, "What did they say?"

"It's too early for them to set up a case," she answered flatly.

"Oh."

A strange silence filled the room. Luka had made her way over to the kitchen table and took a seat across for Kaito. Kaito watched the woman's expression, one of mixed feelings. Luka was glancing down at the table with a dull look to her eyes, something that seemed almost heartbreaking to Kaito. He could only imagine how worried Luka would be. Miku was all she had, wasn't she? She didn't have anymore children, nor a husband.

Kaito spoke up, breaking the uncomfortable silence, "Ms. Megurine... Might I suggest we go look for Miku?"

She nodded slowly, lifting her head up to look at Kaito. She smiled, a forced smile. "Of course. But Kaito, you're much too sweet. You don't have to tag along—"

"I insist," he interrupted. "I care about Miku too."

Luka blinked. "Well, then...," she trailed off. The older woman stood up without another word, then left the kitchen and headed to the front door. Kaito quickly followed suit. Luka put on a thin trench coat and a pair of almost knee-high length heeled boots. Kaito slipped into his sneakers then opened the door.

Luka stepped outside. The crisp, early autumn breeze gently blew her strands of cotton candy hair around her face.

"Miku's probably just fine," Kaito repeated, closing the door behind them. Luka turned to lock it, not saying a thing in response to Kaito's opinion.

"Let's go the the library first," Luka suggested quietly.

For the next few hours, the duo spent their time in search of the missing-but-not-police-officially-so girl. The two barely even spoke. The only things they had to say to each other were where to look next. Kaito would hear choked sobs from the woman every so often, but she seemed to be trying her best to not let the tears pour from her eyes. He wasn't sure if he should either condone or condemn her stubbornness. On one hand, he wouldn't know how to comfort her while she was _crying_. On the other hand, it couldn't be good to just keep it in. Either way, Kaito said nothing of it.

The pair checked many places for the twin tailed girl: the library, the supermarket, book stores, the school, and many more places, with no luck. There was no sign of Miku anywhere.

It was beginning to get dark, the sunlight fading all around them. Kaito and Luka were in one of the many parks in their city. Kaito had suggested to check out the one by the school, after they looked around a couple of others.

At that time, Kaito had decided to call Rin. They really didn't have much to say.

Luka glanced at the small playground, smiling softly. She remembered taking Miku here before, when she was little. Miku always liked this particular playground. But they rarely came, due to inconvenience.

Kaito shut his cellphone when his short conversation with Rin ended. He saw Luka observing the children's equipment. Then, amongst the trees, he noticed what seemed like a trail. "There's a path here?" Kaito would admit he didn't know the park well. Paths were quite plentiful in said park.

Curiously, he began heading down the trail. He called behind for Luka to follow, but wasn't quite sure if she had heard or not. There were many trees surrounding the trail, and it seemed to go on forever. It was so out of place compared to the rest of the park, Kaito thought.

After what felt like much too long, Kaito found himself in a small opening at the end of the path. There was a bench, many trees (as expected), some thick bushes and brightly coloured flowers sprouting from the ground.

And there was a book.

A book slopped messily on top of the dirt. It was left open, it's spine facing up. He blinked, surprised. Kaito heard a small gasp from behind. He turned around and saw Luka who had just arrived. So she _had_ followed.

"It's beautiful," she whispered. "I can't believe I never came _here_ before."

"I guess," Kaito said. "But Ms. Megurine, this book...?" He pointed to the hard-covered novel on the ground.

"A book?" she echoed quietly. Luka walked over to it to get a better look. She picked it up gingerly and closed it, then glanced at the cover.

It immediately fell from her hands, hitting the ground with a soft thud.

And then she cried.

* * *

Her eyes fluttered open slowly. Miku couldn't recall dozing off, so why was she just waking up? She sat up and leaned against the wall. The _wall._.. Where was she?

All she knew was that she was surrounded by darkness.

Miku pushed her knees up against her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. She had been in the park at lunchtime, and Rin came. Then Rin left and... Miku wasn't quite sure what happened after that.

A wave of panic washed over her. She didn't know where she was, nor what happened prior to her awakening... God dammit, if only she could see! Why was it so dark?

Miku got on all four, crawling around wherever she was. It felt like carpet, the ground. She hadn't bumped into anything either, so an empty room?

But why? Why would she be here?

Miku stopped when she hit another wall. She placed her hands on it and began feeling for a light switch. However, she found a doorknob instead.

Just as she was about to turn the knob, she felt something pressing against the side of her pocket. What was that?

...Dur! Her cellphone!

Miku quickly pulled it out from her pocket and dialed the number of her home.

No one answered.

She tried again.

And again, nothing.

Then she punched in Rin's cellphone number. As it rang, Miku slowly opened the door. Light spilled in from the crack. She wasn't yet used to the bright light, being in such a dark room. When her eyes adjusted, Miku let out a muffled gasp. In what appeared to be a hallway stood a man with long, purple hair held up in a ponytail. He wore some sort of robe, Miku couldn't tell exactly what from her view. He was looking off to the side casually, and appeared to be thinking—

_"Hello?"_ Rin picked up.

Her eyes were still on the man standing in the hallway as she whispered frantically, "I-I don't know where I am, Rin! There's some man with purple hair and—"

She dropped her cellphone when she saw him turn towards her direction, walking over.

Miku closed the door quietly and crawled blindly across the room as quickly as possible. The door soon opened, and the man with the long hair stepped in. Miku winced at the brightness that seeped into the room yet again. Not only had he just walked in, he stepped on her cellphone as well. But he didn't seem to notice. Miku silently cursed herself. How could she have left it behind on the ground?

Miku could hear her heart beat pounding in her ears. The man did something, as the whole room was soon lit up. He most likely turned on the lights. She could see perfectly clear now that the robe he wore looked much like samurai garments. How odd.

Miku trembled. She didn't know where she was and there was this strange man... Was she kidnapped? She felt incredibly stupid, for the thought of calling emergency never crossed her mind. And now her cellphone was crushed...

Her purple-haired kidnapper looked down at her expressionlessly. He approached her. Miku was right, when she had thought the room was empty. It really was, save a couple of small things here and there.

As he towered above her, Miku felt horrendously small on her knees. She wasn't quite sure what to do. Scream? Run away? What was _he_ going to do?

She kneeled, paralyzed, terribly afraid of the man.

He dropped a piece of bread in front of her. "Eat," he commanded. Miku blinked, surprised at how melodious his voice sounded. It was beautiful, frighteningly beautiful. What of his singing voice, then...?

Miku picked up the piece of bread and nibbled on it slowly. She wasn't very hungry—she definitely lost her appetite earlier. But she was afraid of what he'd do if she disobeyed, even if his order was only about food. She looked up at him uneasily. He was watching her so intently. It was eerie. She stopped eating for a second, then held up a piece. "D-Do you—"

"I do not eat," he replied swiftly.

"W-What?"

"No thank you."

Miku knew she shouldn't be kind to him. He kidnapped her, for crying out loud, didn't he? She really _was_ afraid of him, but at the same time, oddly enough, felt drawn to him. It was his velvety-smooth voice, wasn't it? Trying to lure her in... She wouldn't fall for it! The sweet sound of the man's voice echoed in her ear. Despite the harsh tone, it almost seemed to say, "You can trust me..."

But of course she _couldn't._

Yet she _couldn't_ help but speak to him. "W-Who are you?"

* * *

Bright blue eyes blinked in surprise at what they heard on their cellphone. Had Miku really been kidnapped? It couldn't be... She didn't want to believe it.

The dreary thought was soon temporarily forgotten as Rin's Vocaloid opened his eyes.

* * *

**Rin, how could you! Miku, don't fall for it. D:**

**It's been a month since my last update, hm?  
Well, this is a cruddy chapter. Wrote it all at work one day. xD**


	4. To You, To Me

**I'm really hoping I can get this story past 4 chapters. xD**

**Wow, I didn't actually realize I had 3 cliffhangers in that last chapter until AnimeFTW65 pointed it out. And shhh, I'm not slipping Lukaito into this...! *shot***

**Short chapter is short and very late, sorry. Writer's block. I forced myself to write this. c:  
**

* * *

"Who are you?" Miku repeated with a little more strength after a failed attempt of getting a response. "Where am I? W-What do you want with me?"

"What is your name?" he asked, completely ignoring her questions. The man stared down at her, a somewhat interested look crossing his features.

She opened her mouth slowly to respond, but only a small, frightened squeak escaped her lips.

"What is your name?" he asked again, this time with more force.

"Miku—my name is Miku," she answered quietly, hesitantly. Miku didn't want to tell him, but she feared what he would do to her if she didn't oblige to his orders. Even if the order was just asking for her name. But would a fake name have done? What would he have done if he found out she used a fake name? The girl shivered at the thought, her mind wandering off to worst-case scenarios—making this scenario even worse.

Her purple-haired kidnapper directed his gaze to the side, to the door. The door which Miku wished she could just open and exit through. He glanced back at Miku. "It is getting late. You should sleep."

Miku blinked, a little confused. He was telling her to go to sleep... Why? What was he going to do? Do to her? No, she couldn't fall asleep. She just couldn't. Not with her mind heavy with such unsettling thoughts; that gut feeling telling her she was in danger, and never going to make it out; everything inside her yearning to return home; and that odd, foreign feeling deep inside—pulling at her heart? She felt like she was going to barf. However, she felt more like crying.

Everything was ending.

She was no longer in her safe haven. Reality hit her—hard. Much harder than it should ever hit anyone.

Life wasn't perfect. There is always something absolutely horrid out there. And that horrid thing could be affecting you. Miku never thought it would happen to _her_. No one expects it to happen to them. But why her, of all people?

As much as she didn't want to show even more weakness in front of this man—he probably fed off of other people's misery—Miku couldn't prevent the line of tears from rolling down her cheeks. She raised her hands to her eyes, rubbing vigorously as she sobbed. It finally seemed to occur to her that she just might not make it out alive, that everything might end then and there. Miku hiccuped and kept her hands covering her face, too frightened to look back at her kidnapper. Too frightened to see his expression, a sadistic smile tugging at the end of his lips. Too frightened to look into his eyes and see what he was plotting just by the way they glimmered.

However, his reaction to her crying caught her off guard. "Why are you crying?" he asked. His tone sounded almost monotone and uncaring, but she sensed a hint of curiousity. What, didn't he know? Wasn't it obvious?

Miku parted her fingers slightly, allowing sight of the man. Her vision was blurry from the tears. She blinked the tears away, sniffing heavily as she tried to concetrate on his expression. He looked surprised, like he was genuinely not expecting this from her.

The next thing she knew, he was on his knees right in front of her. Miku backed away, shocked, not wanting to be close to him. "Why are you crying, Miku?" he repeated. She flinched at the way he used her name so casually.

"I-I don't want to be here," she mumbled, almost to herself. "Why am I here? W-Why? How...?"

She lowered her hands from her face, touching the side of her thighs delicately. Still, she couldn't bare to look the purple-haired man in front of her in the face. "Why did you...?" she trailed off, not expecting him to answer.

An almost thoughtful look crossed his face. "You remind me of my master," he replied simply.

What? He had a master? Miku didn't seem to think of him as much of a butler type. Wait—where was his master, then? Did he hate them? Had he... gotten rid of them?

"Master would be glad to meet you. You two will be such good friends... Master will love spending time with you." A soft smile pulled at the end of his lips, his eyes smiling along.

So that was it. She was just a toy for his master. Who could that twisted man be? She shivered at the thought of someone more twisted than _this_ man. A fresh wave of fear washed through her—she was going to have to _meet_ this master, wasn't she?

"N-No...," the protest escaped her lips quietly.

"What? You will love master, just as master will love you. Do you not want a friend?"

"No! All I want is to go back! W-What makes you think I need a friend?" Miku shouted. She quickly clamped her hands over her mouth. Oh no, what was he going to do with her now that she was rebelling? Get rid of her, quicker than planned?

But he seemed to wave off her outburst. "You do not need a friend, Miku? But you are always alone."

"I'm not alone. I have friends!" she murmured.

"But you are _alone_."

Miku hated the way he spoke, as though he knew everything about her now. And she hated, especially, that he watched her. She no longer felt the tears springing to her eyes. Rather, annoyance and much hatred towards this man.

"Well, master should be back soon," he said, changing the subject. His soft smile morphed into a frown. He eyed her warily, before standing up and turning around to head out.

As he neared the door, Miku called out, "W-Who are you?"

He stopped, glancing over his shoulder. "What do you mean, Miku?"

She winced, yet again. "Your name?" she offered softly.

A soft chuckle escaped his lips. Oh, how she _hated_ the way it sounded so cheerful, and... melodious. He opened the door and walked out into the hall, but before he closed it and disappeared from her sight, he answered.

"Gakupo," Miku repeated his name quietly.

She hated the way it flowed out of her mouth so easily, so perfectly. It just rolled off her tongue.

And now, she was all alone again. She sat cross-legged, wiping her cheeks where her tears had dried. And she knew that she would have to escape before his master came home. Miku definitely did not want to meet that man.

Miku stood up, clenching her fists by her side. She strode over to the closed door, a determined look on her face. She had to stay strong, or else she might not make it out alive. She had to try. It was better than just sitting there, waiting for her doom. But what if trying was just going to quicken the process? Miku shook her head. No, she had to get those thoughts out of her head. She was going to get home safe. She had to.

Miku closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

Placing her hand on the doorknob, she turned it.

* * *

**This sucks so much, ahaha. OTLOTLOTLOTL**


	5. Line

**Now I'm making things up as I go? With basic ideas? xD**

* * *

"Wait, what?" Miku whispered, her voice panicked. She jiggled the doorknob, placing her other hand atop it and turning it frantically. Why wouldn't it open? Had Gakupo somehow locked it, from the outside? Miku hadn't heard anything like a small '_click_' sound that would indicate he had. But then again, she wasn't in the most alert condition at the moment. But why hadn't he locked it before, when she was unconscious? Now there really was no way for her to get out. Anyway, if she had gotten out of this room, what would she have done? What what she have done if he spotted her? No, what would _he_ have done?

But this room, Miku knew, could drive someone insane.

It was absolutely empty. There were no windows. How could one stand being in here for so long? She had a feeling she couldn't.

Suddenly discouraged, all her hope basically vanishing just like that after a few seconds, Miku sat down and leaned against the wall across from the door. She spent the next few hours like that, just sitting and moping. What else could she do? Miku barely even felt alive, all of her energy drained out of her.

And eventually, her mind heavy with thoughts of horror, she dozed off.

* * *

"Here, meet my brother, Len. Say 'Hi,' Kaito!" The blond-haired girl grinned, gesturing towards the boy who stood beside her.

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "No offense or anything to your bro, Rin, but he's kinda an idiot."

"Huh?" Rin turned turned around, following Kaito's gaze, only to see her brother staring at his elbows like they were the most amazing things in the world.

"Maybe he's high? Y'know how people get when they're like that. Remember when Tonio just walked into our history class in the middle of the period totally stoned? That was hilarious." He chuckled at the memory.

"Uh, yeah," Rin agreed, though she couldn't actually remember that incident well. Plus, she was a bit too occupied with getting Len to stop looking like he was high. "No, Len, get up..."

"I never knew you had a brother. How come I've never seen him around?"

Rin scowled. "He's my Vocaloid. But I must've done something wrong when I set him up, because he's _not _supposed to act like this. Ahh, I'll have to reboot him later." She pulled the now lying on the ground Len up, holding him close so he wouldn't run off or something.

Kaito didn't really know much about Vocaloids, but he had a basic idea. They were kind of cool, he thought. But after seeing Len, he decided that he would never get one. It'd be too much trouble if they acted like this right after buying them. "Anyway, I didn't wake up early on a Saturday morning and run over to your house for no reason—let's go to Miku's house."

"Huh? Oh, yeah. She could be back now." Rin smiled hopefully. That call she got last night suddenly popped into her head again. She had been so distracted setting up Len, she almost forgot. "Just lemme get my mom to look after Len while we're gone. I don't think he can handle being alone in his... 'condition' right now. You can wait outside."

He nodded, heading out after he saw Rin run off with Len into the depths of her house. Rin held onto Len's hand firmly, dragging him through the halls of her home. The silly Vocaloid was so heavy, it was quite difficult for her. Especially since he resisted. It seemed like he wanted to go outside and climb a tree or something, and chase angry squirrels around. Maybe she gave him a dog-like personality by accident. Well, that couldn't be good. Maybe she'll have to treat him like a dog, then? Rin wasn't quite sure where her mom was, peeking into the dining room and kitchen for her. As she walked, she called out, "Mom! Mom? Mum? Mummy?" And since that didn't work, she decided to shout out her name, "Koto?" That was a bit awkward—she wasn't used to calling her mother Koto. She only felt comfortable calling her dad by his first name.

"Hm?"

"Oh!" Rin followed her voice, backpedaling and finding her mother in the living room she had just passed by. Koto was seated on the couch, the newspaper in hand. Her orange hair formed little waves around her face. "Mom, I'm going out with a friend for a bit. Can you look after Len while I'm gone? Hey—no, Len, no! Bad! Bad! Don't do that!" she scolded the robot.

Len was tugging on the large ribbon on her head curiously, unfurling it and making it look messy. She let out a frustrated sigh, smacking his hand away from her head. He was beginning to annoy her now. Immediately, a huge pout crossed Len's features. Why did he look like such a puppy doing that?

"R-Rin... Sorry," he sounded almost like he was going to cry. His lower lip wibbled, and his eyes shone with guilt—the kind that a small child would have after nibbling on a cookie _just_ before dinner, against their parents wishes.

And seriously, Rin couldn't be pissed off at _that_. She had a heart, as hard as that may be to believe to some of her peers. "Len... D-Don't be like that. It's okay." She couldn't help it. She just _had_ to hug him. So she did. He was like adorable, cute, and pure lovable all packed into one.

It must be the dog traits. Should she really reboot him? It would be for the better...

"Aw," Koto murmured, smiling a great deal, "Len is so cute. You two are so cute."

Rin almost forgot her mother was watching them. _Almost_. She pulled away from her Vocaloid, slightly embarrassed. "Cute" was never a word that people used to describe anything that related to her. "A-Anyway, mom, just look after him. He's a little unstable. I'm thinking he acts like a dog. So maybe you could try yelling out 'Sit!' and things like that if you want him to stay still." She pushed Len to her mother, who had put the newspaper down on the coffee table in front of her. "Be good while I'm gone, alright Len? Mom will be around."

Len nodded, smiling at Koto. She smiled back, patting him on the head.

Rin waved goodbye to the two, and ran out into the hall and to the front door. She slipped into a pair of running shoes, headed out and closed the door behind her. She saw Kaito just standing on her lawn, kicking his feet around. He looked up when he heard the door slam. "That took a while," he commented. "Let's get going." Kaito turned around, gesturing with his hand for her to follow him. The walk to Miku's house didn't take that long—she only lived a couple of streets away from Rin. Back at the front door of the Megurine household, but this time with Rin, Kaito rang the doorbell.

The door was soon opened, and they were greeted with an exhausted, baggy-eyed Luka. She was able to keep up a calm appearance, however.

"Hello Kaito, Rin," said Luka.

She looked horrible. There was absolutely no way Kaito could compliment her on her looks today, Rin concluded.

He wasn't planning on doing so, anyway. "Hi, Ms. Megurine. Is Miku...?" he trailed off. But, judging by the way Luka looked, there was just no way the twin tailed girl had returned home.

Her eyebrows immediately furrowed, eyes filling with tears, mouth opening in a desperate gasp. She covered her face with her hands, hiccuping. Kaito stiffened; he didn't want to just watch her cry, like he had the previous night when they were looking for Miku and came across that book. Apparently, the book was Miku's. She was so eager reading it, and would never leave it behind according to her mother.

He was just about to pat her comfortably, or wrap his arms around her as she sobbed. But Rin had gotten to that first, stepping in, in front of Kaito. He shriveled back a bit. Rin was more familiar with Luka, anyway. She and Miku _were_ best friends after all. He just hung out with them every so often. Rin pulled the older woman into an embrace. She whispered the most encouraging words and sayings she could think of. "She will come home soon, Ms. Megurine. She has to."

"O-Of course," Luka cried. She clung onto the arms of the petite girl. These two teenagers—they were the only ones she could lean on.

Rin herself felt tears welling up in her eyes. A few rolled down her cheek before she began to sob as well.

The two woman held onto each other tightly, broken over the disappearance of Megurine Miku.

And all Kaito could do was watch. He wasn't sure how to comfort Luka in the first place, and now Rin as well? He felt horrible. He really did want to help them, support them during this hard stage for their emotions.

It wasn't that his heart wasn't in it. Kaito cared a lot about Miku. _A lot_. More than anyone knew. After all, he swore something inside him tore when he heard Rin utter the words, "Miku is gone."

"We need to report this to the police," he suggested weakly. "We should be able now, right Ms. Megurine?"

"Yes," Luka choked out. The two girls pulled away from each other, glancing at each other with small smiles tugging on the ends of their lips.

After they had calmed themselves enough, they all got into Luka's car—a plain, silver Honda—and drove to the police station. Inside, they stood in front of what appeared to be some secretary's desk of some sort. There sat a woman with long, dark pink hair. A huge curl, almost hook-like, formed at the top of her head with her hair. She had her head down, scrawling a few things onto a piece of paper. She had a huge stack next to her. A few moments later, the woman looked up and greeted the group, "Welcome to Bokaro Police Station. How can I help you three?" However, the question seemed more directed to Luka.

Luka's lips formed a tight line. She felt that if she opened her mouth to reply, she would begin crying again.

"We're here to file a missing persons' report," Kaito answered for her.

"Our friend... her daughter," Rin added, looking over at Luka, "has been gone for a day now."

Luka nodded slowly to confirm her statement.

"Oh, well, please follow me then," she replied, standing up from her seat. They followed the woman into a fairly large office. There were four desks, a computer on each. The woman gestured to the first one that was in their path of sight. A man with striking red eyes and silver hair, a small ponytail pulling strands up, was seated behind said desk. "Mr. Honne can help you out. He does several jobs, including detective work." As he looked up from his work at the mention of his name, the woman turned around and left.

"Hello Dell," said Luka quietly.

"Luka. Long time no see." He nodded to acknowledge their presence. "What do you need?"

"A... I—we're here to file a missing persons' report," she answered slowly.

"I see. I'll need to ask you some questions, then," Dell replied. His tone sounded almost uncaring, insensitive. Kaito and Rin glanced at each other, finding the man's coldness to be quite strange. They thought that one would show a bit of sympathy, knowing that someone dear is missing. And they even knew each other, somehow.

For the next hour or so, the trio answered all the questions they could that Dell asked them: things like basic information about Miku, her appearance, if they had a photo on hand (which Luka did) and when she was last seen. All the while, he typed what they could only assume was everything they were saying, into a report. Rin wanted to mention the call she got, but every time she opened her mouth to speak, her lips felt as dry as a desert, and the words just wouldn't come out.

They heard a few clicks of the mouse, and a small "Hmm" that escaped the man's lips.

He got out of his chair and headed over to a filing cabinet, gesturing for Luka to follow. Rin and Kaito looked over at them with interest, wondering if they should follow as well. Dell, noticing their curiousity, shook his head as a no. "I believe we have a file on your daughter," he muttered to Luka. Sifting through the files for a couple of minutes, he eventually pulled out a small folder. He opened it and skimmed through the contents. It confirmed some of the details for sure.

But something was a little peculiar.

Dell pointed to a name on one of the pages. "Luka, do you know who Miku's—"

"Of course," she cut in.

"Alright, then. We will do a search as soon as possible, and publicize her disappearance."

"Thank you, Dell," she murmured. "Kaito, Rin, let's go now."

They nodded, and trailed after Luka, out of the police station and into her car.

Luka let out a sigh, "Thank you two for coming. It... calmed me down a bit. I'll drive you home." She turned on the engine, backed out of the parking lot and began to drive on the road.

Kaito had noticed. She didn't seem as anxious when she was speaking about it to Dell. Or maybe that was because she already seemed to know him.

Almost like she read his mind, Rin piped up, "How did you and Mr. Honne know each other?"

"We see each other every now and then, around the city," she explained, "and we used to go to the same university for a bit."

Rin's eyes narrowed. "I see. And what was that thing Dell said to you? About Miku's file?"

"Don't ask things like that!" Kaito exclaimed. "It was obviously private for a reason."

Luka shook her head, though they couldn't really see her do so from the backseats. "No, it's fine. I'm sure you two were going to find out soon, anyway." She continued on, explaining briefly the conversation she had with Dell. If she could even call it a conversation.

"Does Miku know?" Rin asked, her voice a mere whisper. She looked over at Kaito with wide eyes.

Luka grimaced. "No..."

* * *

Koto wasn't quite sure how to care for a Vocaloid. Or a dog, for that matter. She never owned a dog before. But eventually, she got the hang of looking after Len. Only after he had fallen asleep, that is. Except it wasn't actually sleeping—Len was just resting his systems. Koto, deciding that it would be fine if she left for a short while as he napped, had walked over to the grocery store. It was only around a seven minutes walk away, give or take. It was was really convenient if you needed to go buy some groceries. Koto thought it would be a good idea to cook a nice dinner that night, seeing as Sora was back for the week. At the moment, he was out hanging around with a couple of his friends, Ted and Kiyoteru.

But she definitely wasn't expecting to see a certain something in the dairy section. Rather, a certain someone. A certain someone with silvery-blue hair and misty aquamarine eyes.

She couldn't believe she could still recognize him, after all those years. She felt tempted to ask if it really was him.

However, he spoke first, "Koto?" Obviously, he knew who she was as well. He looked quite surprised too.

"Sai? Sai _Yurika_?"

He chuckled. "Who else could I be? Are you still Koto Fuuga?"

Her grip on the plastic basket carrying her food that she was holding tightened. "Oh no, no. I'm Koto Kagamine now." She smiled. "I didn't think I'd see you here." Or ever again, she added mentally.

"I definitely didn't want—I mean, think—I'd see you either. I just moved here recently."

Koto pouted childishly in response to the smug grin he wore. Just like the old days... However, the pout looked strange on her now-matured face.

"Oh, I see. It's been so long, maybe we should catch up?" she suggested.

"Why not? I've got everything I need here. I can head straight to the front and pay for this food," Sai replied, looking down at his own basket.

"I can, too." Her eyes lit up. "Oh, my place isn't actually that far. We can talk there. It will only take a few minutes." Koto was sincerely curious about what he had done since the last time she saw him. And was he married now as well? What was his occupation? How was his sister? There was so much to talk about.

"That'd be great."

They could start now. "What do you do for a living?" Koto asked as the pair walked through the store to the cash registers.

"Hm? Oh, I've been doing some programming for a company making Vocaloids. Have you heard of those before?" he replied.

"Ah! My daughter just got one of those recently," she exclaimed. "But it seems to have some problems."

"I could check," Sai offered.

"More the reason for you to visit." Koto laughed.

And surely, Sora wouldn't mind if she had on old friend over. Even if said friend was her first love.

* * *

Gumi Megpoid and Mikuo Hatsune.

Those names would not leave either Rin or Kaito's minds.

* * *

**Lotsa hugs~ And Day2: almost over lol.**

**I'm going to try and update this story at least once a month now. _Try_. Hopefully I can do so... Also, I might write a side story about Koto, Sora and Sai's past. Or it just won't be related to this story at all, since I'm having trouble with getting secondary characters. x_X But the plot would basically be the same lol.  
**


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